Means for treatment of pyorrhea



J. R. IRWIN.

MEANS FOR TREATMENT OF PYbRRHEA.

APPLICATTON FILED APR.6, 1920.

1,389,662. PatentedSept. 6,1 921.

* UNITED STATES PATENT oFFics.

J'OHNROIBERT IRWIN, 0F COBOURG, ONTARIO, CANADA.

MEANS FOR TREATMENT OF IPYORRHEA.

To all whom itma 6 mm .Be it known that I, DOCtGf JOHNRQBERT IRWIN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, a resident of the town of Cobour'g, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Treatment of yorrhea, of which the following is a speci- This invention relates to improvements in a method and means for treating pyorrhea. It is well known in the dental profession that pyorrhea is the most prevalent and probably the can afiect the mouth and gums of a patient, and the result of this pyorrhea is so. very serious that grave complications arise directly'therefrorn and in many cases prove fatal. 7

It will thus be seen that the disease is one which requires particular attention, and up to the present time any treatment of pyorrhea has only resulted in very indiflierent success, and probably only a very small percentage of cures have been obtained by older forms of treatment.

After a considerable amount of experimenting and research work, I have discovered that by treating thisdisease, with an electro-chemical treatment. vast majority of cases have resulted in apparent cure with the disappearance of the complications arising from the disease and the results have beensuchthat I am of the'opinion the cure will be of a permament nature. 7

Even very oldand stubborn cases have yielded to this treatment with beneficial results to the patient. I

So that the nature of my invention will be properly understood the accompanying drawings showing a form of my apparatus which is used in applying the treatment, and other objects of the invention will be readily understood as the specification develops.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device designed to be inserted in the mouth of a patient and carry an absorbent material designed to be saturated with a l1qu1d, the said device being provided with a terminal whereby an electric current may be passed through the apparatus to ionize the liquid and impregnate the gums of the patient with the ions of the said solution.

most serious diseasewhich reference is made to Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 6, 1921; Application 'filed April 6, i

1920. Serial No; 371,780.

Fig. a transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1'.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a device designed to carry a piece of absorbent ma terial saturatcd in a liquid, the material being positioned adjacent to the gums on i the inside of the teeth of the patient, the said device being provided with an electrical connection.

Fig. 43 is a transverse section on theline 4-4t of Fig. 3.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

In carrying out my treatment of pyorrhea, I utilize an arcuate or curvilinear memberlO in the form of a plate, the curvature being such that it will conform to the formation of the gums of the patient, and in one form of this plate, I provide inwardly extending grips or clamping members 11 adapted to engage and retain a roll of absorbent cotton 12 in position.

This absorbent cotton issaturated with a liquid which iselectrically treated'so that the liquid will become ionized. and the gums of the patient impregnated with the said ions.

To facilitate passinga current of electricity through this liquid, I .provide a terminal 13 which is secured to the front of the plate 10, and is provided with an offset or hook shaped end. 14: adapted to (be connected by a suitable wire to one pole of a source of electric supply, and the terminal 13 is insulated by a sleeve 15' of rubber or like material. sothat the current will be advantageously. utilized in ionizing the liquid with which the cotton has been saturated- 7 A In Fig. 1 the apparatus shown is such that it will be used on the outside of the gums of the patient.

In Fig. 3, the plate 10 is provided with the hooks or clamping members 11 which are directed outwardly, in this way differing from the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and the strip of absorbent cotton 12 extends around the outer face of the arcuate or curvilinear mouth of the patient, so that the cotton 12 will be located in juxtaposition to the gums on the inside of the teeth of the patient.

In utilizing this apparatus to carry out,

my method of treatment of pyorrhea I may say that the inner and outer portions of the gums may be treated simultaneously, but I prefer to treat them individually and in separate operations.

It is immaterial when the inside and outside of the gums are being treated individually, whether the one is treated prior to the other. i

In carrying out this operation the outside of the gums are to be treated, then the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 is used, and the apparatus is sterilized and a fresh piece of absorbent cotton 12 is prepared and thoroughly saturated in solution, the cotton being then positioned in the clips or clamps 11, whereupon the curvilinear plate 10 is inserted in the mouth of the patient, the cotton 12 engaging with the outer portion of the gums. V

The hook end 14 of the terminal 13 is now attached to one pole of a source of electric supply, and the other pole of the source of electric supply will be attached in a suitable manner to the hand of the patient, and when the electric circuit has been closed a current of the required strength will be passed through the plate 10, and, acting in an electrochemical manner on the solution with which the cotton 12 has been saturated, will ionize the said solution and impregnate the gums of the patient with the said ions.

The duration of treatment will vary according to the stages of the disease, but I have found that in most cases about fifteen minutes treatment is sufficient in one operation.

After treating the outer gums a similar operation will be performed on the inner gums but in this case the apparatus shown in 3 will be used.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 3 is thoroughly sterilized before use, and a fresh roll of absorbent cotton 12 is saturated in the liquid and positioned on the clips or clamps 11, and the plate 10 is then placed in the mouth of the patient and drawn forward until the cotton 12 will be in contact with the inner gums of the patients mouth 10, and after an electro-cheniical action. on

the solution with which the cotton 12 has been saturated ionizes the said solution and impregnates the inner gums with the said ions.

lVhen the disease is old several such treatments will be required during certain intervals of time.

I have found with some patients whose teeth can be freely moved that three or more treatments have effectively tightened the teeth in the sockets, and in such a way that they could not be moved with the fingers.

The other complications which arise from the disease have also rapidlydisappeared.

From this description it will be seen that I have invented an apparatus which can be utilized with my improved method of treatment of the disease of pyorrhea, and in which very beneficial results have been obtained;

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many widely differ ent embodiments of my invention within the scope of the claim,constructed without 'de parting from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

The apparatus used'in the treatment of pyorrhea comprising an arcuate member designed to be inserted in the mouth and to coincide with the gums, a solution retaining member carried by the arc'uate member and adjacent to the gums, the said arcuate mem her being adapted to be connected to a source of electrical supply connected to the arcuate member whereby a current of electricity is passed through the arcuate member to ionize the solution, and impregnate all the gums simultaneously with the solution.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

'JOHN ROBERT IRWIN 

